Looking for Feedback on Kuiu Pants

[In God We Trust]

I have the Guide jacket, Attack Pants, and gaiters. There stuff is good quality and quite a bit cheaper then Sitka. Plus Sitka is made overseas and Kuiu is made in Canada. I also agree with it fitting small. As others have stated order a size larger. I wish I would have ts.known that before buying the attack pants.

 

[benjblt]

Bullmag, did your attacks end up with many "yarn balls" from snagging them? I just got the attacks this year and used them for the first time this weekend (I was hunting the Oregon coast). They were great but yesterday I was walking through an open clear cut and realized part way through that my pants were starting to snag on little berry bushes. They were very low to the ground and no matter how hard I tried the pants would still get snagged every once and in while. I have about a dozen little runs in my pants where the small thorns caught the fabric and pull the fabric loose and left little yarn loops. I realize the fabric is meant to be stretchy and light but I was hoping for a little more durability. Overall I really like the pants, but IMO don't by them if you have to go through any brush.

I really like the attack pants. I purchased my first pair 2 years ago in camo and wore them that hunting season and loved them so early last year they had a sale and I liked them so much I purchased 3 pair of the gray attack pants to wear for work, that has been a year ago now. I work outside everyday from 95 deg. some summer days to 30 deg. winter and everything in between. I do stay warm easy so some people will need a base layer for those cold windy days because they do breath really well, no sweating at all in the summer if you have just a slight breeze. If it's still and hot I can sweat no matter what I am wearing. They do wear well, I have been using just 2 pair (saving the third pair for the future use) for the last year everyday and I don't baby them at all and other then a couple of little yarn ball cause I've hooked them on something they have many years left in them.

 

[Hunteastwest]

rindog: I bought the Chinook top and bottom paired with the KUIU 145 Merino layers and love the set. For active style hunting, they are spot on. For tree stand hunting in lower temps, they are a bit on the light side. For western hunting the set is great. I've never hunted the 2nd season, but I'd bet that most days you'd be ok in the set.

I also wrote a review on the set on my blog if you want a more in-depth read: http://www.hunteastwest.com/new-blog/2015/8/12/gear-review-kuiu-chinook-jacket-and-pants

Hope this helps!
Hunteastwest

 

[benjblt]

Hunteastwest: I noticed that you received a tear in your Chinooks. I got one in my Guides while elk hunting a month ago. I was consciously being careful and ran into a stick. I ran into it hard but not that hard. This is my only disappointment with Kuiu, and its a big one, their stuff isn't durable enough. Its hard to spend money on this stuff just to get wholes in it the first season. If you really get out there and hunt you will encounter a bush or stick. Most people don't just hunt on the trail, the tundra, or some barren hillside. I'm surprised that I don't read more reviews of folks having durability issues with this stuff.

I wonder if the Teton stretch woven pant will be more durable. . . or the rest of the Teton line for that matter. I think the problem might be the stretchy knitted fabric that Kuiu is so proud of that catches brush and folds so easily to abrasion.

rindog: I bought the Chinook top and bottom paired with the KUIU 145 Merino layers and love the set. For active style hunting, they are spot on. For tree stand hunting in lower temps, they are a bit on the light side. For western hunting the set is great. I've never hunted the 2nd season, but I'd bet that most days you'd be ok in the set.

I also wrote a review on the set on my blog if you want a more in-depth read: http://www.hunteastwest.com/new-blog/2015/8/12/gear-review-kuiu-chinook-jacket-and-pants

Hope this helps!
Hunteastwest

 

[Iron Mike]

benjblt
Do you have holes in all your Kuiu clothes? When you say their stuff is not durable enough I am just curious if that is your only experience with holes in Kuiu. I have I guess quite a bit of their line along with a bunch of other brands - I do need to downsize! The first time I wore my Tiburon pants I put a hole in them. I was Turkey hunting and sneaking up on a hung up Tom when I spotted him coming and had to hit the ground fast. I landed on a short staub attached to a branch and it went through the pants. It also went into my ham. I wore that pair of pants off and on this past summer backpacking with my wife, Solo Elk hunted in them during the first 5 days of Archery season in the Eagle Cap Wilderness and again for 10 days and 100 miles in the same area with my partner at the end of the season. Anybody from Oregon will tell you the Eagle Caps are rugged country. After that I chased deer and hunted Chuckers in Sheep country in those pants falling on my ass more then once chasing those devil birds. Now I didnt always use the same pair but they were on me at least half the time. I still only have one hole in them. I live on some acreage in Central Oregon and working around my place, mostly pasture, I am constantly putting holes in my jeans - all different brands. All in all in the last couple years I have been wearing their product I have been pretty pleased. The only other time I have heard much issues was some folks wearing the Attack pants in thorny areas where they would catch somewhat on the briars. I dont have any Attacks so I cant comment on those. I do not have any holes in any of my other clothing from Kuiu which to me is amazing. I am sure it will happen at some time though.
PS. I got the Turkey.
Edited to say I also really like the Chinook line!

 

[benjblt]

Iron Mike,
I have two posts above yours. One is about the hole in the Guides and the other is the yarn balls and snags in my Attacks. I've hunted a total of 5 days in both pants combined and have had a bad experience with both. And I wasn't being wreckless out there. That's $280 in pants that our now beat up after 5 days of hunting!! Now they are not ruined and I still really like the pants so maybe I will have better luck in the future. I used to hunt in jeans all the time and rarely put a whole in a new pair of jeans. That being said I do appreciate hearing about your experience and its encouraging to hear that you have had fairly good luck with Kuiu. I'm hoping it was just a fluke and things will go better for me. . . I have hunted the Eagle Caps (I'm from Oregon as well) and I'm not surprised that you didn't have much trouble over there. You can avoid the brush a little easier. Here on the West side of Oregon its quite a bit brushier. I'm not sure which pants I will be able to where over here. I may have to try the Teton to see if they will do well.

Did you patch your Tiburon's? If you did, what did you use? I'm thinking of using one of those iron on patches.

 

[Iron Mike]

benjbt
I have not patched them yet! I need to but the only time I think about it is when I put them on! The hole has not got any bigger though! Maybe I will pull them out today and fix them while its on my mind. I will probably just stitch it. I know the coast is thick I forgot to mention I hunt spring Bear there and have used my Tib's . I hunt elk there once in a while but it has not been since I have started wearing Kuiu. I will say The Eagle Caps do not have the brush like the coast but I hunt the East side of it and get into some thick blowdown messes that always amaze me how the Elk get through!

 

[benjblt]

Iron Mike,
I love the Eagle Caps! I hunt the Imnaha River area (Sheep Creek). My friend had wolves scare him out of that area when he had to sleep in a tree. I hunt spring bear over here too. Its one of my favorite things to do. Next spring we should draw the West Blues though. Thanks for the feedback!

Below is a Tioga bull I killed near Roseburg in 2010. My best Rosey to date.

 

[Iron Mike]

Nice!!! Dont mean to high jack the thread but I love big Rosie's. The racks may not be as long as a Rocky but they are pure studs!
I hunt Imnaha also - south a few ridges from the Sheep Creek area. I havnt been up there in a while but the trail head into Sheep Creek the last time I drove up to it was a zoo! Is it still pretty busy?

 

[benjblt]

Nice!!! Dont mean to high jack the thread but I love big Rosie's. The racks may not be as long as a Rocky but they are pure studs!
I hunt Imnaha also - south a few ridges from the Sheep Creek area. I havnt been up there in a while but the trail head into Sheep Creek the last time I drove up to it was a zoo! Is it still pretty busy?

It was a perfect six but some of those bulls can get really nearly sometimes. . . I haven't been to Sheep Creek for 3 years but it wasn't too bad until the second to last weekend.